I know some of you dear readers think I’m overly infatuated with tiny underpowered foreign toy cars. And you’re right! But that’s not why you’re rubbing your eyes looking at this visually challenging Ami 8; it’s the only other French vintage car I found parked on the streets we roamed on foot on our trip to Paris. But…I’m thrilled with my fate; the Ami was very high on my list of cars I was hoping to find (after a Peugeot 404), even if its not the earlier and more bizarre Ami 6. And get this: both the Ami6 and 8 look pretty tame compared to the car that Citroen planned to build in its place. Get your sunglasses ready.

Before we get to that, the Ami 6 often appears on lists of the world’s ugliest cars. It certainly scores high in sheer eccentricity. But every child looks beautiful to its mother, and Citroen designer Flaminio Bertoni, who also designed the exquisite DS “Goddess”, called the Ami 6 his favorite car. So there. And it looks almost tame compared to the car Citroen was planning to build as a mid-size model.

Yes. Citroen was an adventuresome company. In the early fifties, the gap between the cheap little 2CV and the very upscale DS was vast, and the “Cocinelle” was intended to bridge it. Its boxer engine sat under the front seat, and drove the front wheels. Extremely aerodynamic and super-light, the Cocinelle would have been the most radical production car just about ever.

When Citroen canceled the project, it needed a quick and expedient solution for a mid-level car. Having taken control of Panhard (see Panhard history here), Citroen sold the Panhard sedan at its own dealerships, but that was only a stop gap. The solution was to put a roomier body on the 2CV platform frame, keeping its suspension, and enlarging its boxer twin engine from 435 to a whopping 602 cc. And since Citroen was concerned about in-house competition from the similar sized new Panhard 24 under development, it forbade a four door version. That’s partly why the beautiful Panhard 24 arrived as both a coupe and a long-wheelbase two-door sedan, which was intended to be a four door sedan.

Out of fairness to Citroen and Bertoni, it must be pointed out that the Ami’s famous face was intended to be not quite so bizarre. The Ami was the first production car ever to utilize rectangular headlights, and originally, they were to be incorporated in a much more harmonious front end design (above).

But the authorities thought the lights were too low, and the front end had to be redone with the lights in a higher, and much more awkward position. So we can thank the French bureaucrats for the Ami’s appearance on all those ugliest car ever lists. The base Ami had the single rectangular lights (left), and the upscale ‘Club’ had quad lights. Either way, even attractive French booth babes weren’t going to be able to diver ones eyes adequately.

But not the reverse slanted rear window, which was pioneered by Mercury a few years earlier, and also used by the British Ford Anglia. Its practical purpose here was to leave a large trunk opening in a short car, since Citroen had decided specifically against a hatchback. The R4 that came out the same year as the Ami 6 probably made them wish they had gone the same route.

I just have to share this picture that shows these cars in their brisk cornering attitude. Citroen’s suspension interconnected the front and rear wheels on each side, but what was lacking was some interface from side to side. The result is like a sailboat keeling over. Folks just got used to it, or popped a Dramamine. But despite the attitude, these cars still were glued to the road and could be driven deceptively quick.

The Ami 6 first appeared in 1961, and was built through 1971.

In 1969, the Ami 8 was introduced with a facelifted front end that smoothed out some of the extreme ugliness,and with a sloping hatchback to replace the Breezeway window. And a power a boost to boot: from 28 to 32 hp, which was upped again to 35 after 1973. Not shabby, for 36 cubic inches! Top speed was claimed to be 74 mph, but Autocar only saw 65 in their test. The amble from 0-50 (not 60) took some 30 seconds.Fuel economy was 44 (US) mpg; great for the times; lousy compared to what today’s modern diesels achieve with cars twice as heavy and many times the power.

The Ami 8 was also available in this Break (wagon) version that I found, as had the Ami 6. The rear cargo area is quite room, thanks to a very low floor.

Now here’s the kicker with this particular car: it has a trailer hitch! I know the Europeans made some remarkably light travel trailers, but I can only imagine what even the smallest of them would have been like hitched to this Ami 8 wagon. Glacial is the only word that comes to mind. At least much of France is relatively flat.

But help was available towards the end of the Ami’s long twenty-year life span. In 1973, the new four cylinder boxer for the GS was also available in the aptly-named Ami Super. The ads promised 85 mph! The Ami Super was not a sales success, and disappeared after a few years, while the Ami 8 soldiered along until 1979. This one may well be from the latter 70s.

But that wasn’t the only engine transplant the Ami received. Not surprisingly, ever-adventurous Citroen was an early adopter of the rotary engine, and created a joint venture with NSU, Comotor, to build them. The Ami-based M 35 coupe was the test bed for the 500 cc, 49 hp twin-rotor engine. A total of 267 of the coupes were built, and eventually the rotary found its way into the GS Birotor. But the timing was not fortuitous: the OPEC oil-blockade made fuel efficiency paramount, and the three-rotor engine intended for the new big Cx never saw the light of day. Another expensive project canceled that helped push Citroen into near-bankruptcy and into the arms of Peugeot.

The Ami 8 has the typical single-spoke Citroen steering wheel, and the usual umbrella-handle gear shift that the 2CV pioneered. It was a fairly roomy, if somewhat narrow car, since the 2CV itself was fairly long. The Ami’s boxy shape made the most of it.

For a stop-gap, the Ami had a long and reasonably successful life, with some 800k built. Citroen wasted a lot of time and money on a new mid-sized car, the Project F. When Renault showed a very similar production car with their new R16, Citroen again pulled the plug and started over, with the more advanced GS. They finally built what they set out to achieve: an advanced aerodynamic car with decent performance and excellent efficiency. I have one in the can from Portland, and we’ll get to it one of these days, after you’ve recovered from all this Francophelia. Until then, I’ll leave you with this last shot to sear the Ami into your memory banks.

54 Comments

Still, the first model in estate form or Break as the French would call it was France’s best selling car for a few years, especially in the rural area’;s where fuel economics and practicality were the most important features for any car sold.

The AMI Super, well I have great memories of those when my father was doing a 140 KP/H in the Renault R 16 and we were overtaken by ……..an AMI 8, well that’s what we thought,
Dad sweared and was determined not to be defeated by an AMI so we chased the darn thing and eventually took back the lead, the guy in the AMI did not leave it at that and creaped next to us, that is when I saw the SUPER sign on the front wing, and understood this was something completely different !

They possibly don’t, but if they do they have to live with it, since “un break” is what we call a wagon in French (be it Citroën, Ford, Volvo or whatever). Don’t ask me why 🙂

And Paul, by the way, my dad’s Ami 6 break also had a trailer hitch. Hey, we had a caravan. And in the summertime, the Ami did take us AND the caravan from A to B. Slowly, but it did. Without A/C and without stereo, and not all the landscapes were flat. We went to Brittany, we went to the Dordogne. Ah, the early 1970s. Best holidays I ever had! These ugly ducklings were fantastic little cars.

Good question, I’m not so sure, it may be the other way round actually… “Break”/”brake” was a horse-drawn carriage in the first place, at least that’s what Wiki says… FWIW here is my theory: when Peugeot began making the first French mass-produced wagons (that was the 203 in the late 1940s, then the 403 in 1955) they were called “commerciale” or “familiale” (Paul please correct me if I’m wrong) and those are the terms people used.

I don’t think anyone called a wagon ‘”un break” before the 1960s. It must have something to do with Citroen’s ID/DS wagon. It was meant to be more upmarket than the Peugeots, and someone at Citroën must have noticed that the Brits had come up with something quite exclusive called “shooting brake”… which sounded more chic, and pleasantly non-Peugeot-like, than “commerciale” or “familiale”. Thus not only the DS wagon (I’ll have to double-check that) but even the modest Ami 6 and 8 wagons were officially called “break”, and other carmakers soon followed suit (Simca 1100, Renault 12).

So the term just caught on and by the late 1960s-early 1970s everybody was using it it as a matter of course. So much so that, for instance, the last Volvo 240 wagons sold on the French market in the early 1990s were officially called “Le Break” (it even read so on the car), so as to hail them as the epitome of “the” wagon. Possibly that’s where VW got the idea for their excruciating “Das Auto” campaign 20 years later, though they’ll never admit it 🙂

My parents’ white Ami Super – exactly like this one – was the first car I ever rode in. I have only the vaguest memories of it, but I remember how it smelled. They sold it for 50 quid when it was 6 years old.

The floor had rusted through. It had previously belonged to my great uncle, was impeccably maintained and probably had 30 or 40,000 miles on the clock. My mum saw it years later parked at a ski resort, had a look underneath and saw the home brewed repair job on the floors.

I was always fascinated by the look of the Citroen Ami,love it or hate it,you will not forget it.Recall reading that the body shape was very aerodynamically efficient.The version with the Citroen GS engine was regarded as a rapid performer.

This or a Panhard PL17? I know where my Francs would have been spent – down at the Panhard dealer. Of course, the PL17 cost a fair chunk of change more than the Ami, but well worth it for more power, bigger brakes, better dash and nicer trim.

There is something so oddly compelling about this car. Perhaps it is the contrast it presents in comparison to my middle American experience of everybody having a mid-size or full-size car in the garage parked next to a half-ton pickup.

In the seventh picture down, showing the sedan in rear 3/4 view, a couple of odd questions erupted. With the likely interference of the trunk (boot) lid hitting the roof, did the compromised opening present any problems? And, was there a stop built-in to prevent the lid from slamming into the roof?

I kind of like the wagon , which is better looking than the sedan. If only it had a prettier face. I love the sound of the engines. Bbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbb ! I saw quite a few of these along with the 2 cv. when I was in Europe.

In the early 1980’s I stumbled across a clean Ami6 and tried to buy it ~ I was the _ONLY_ person who’d answered the advert yet still the seller’s wife queered the deal by upping the price when I showed up with trailer and cash in hand ~ they had two , one was dead for parts .

It’s really upsetting to think about how cool a three-rotor CX would’ve been. Has anyone ever swapped a Mazda 13B or 20B into a Citroen GS? I think some have been put in the Ro80.

As for the Ami, I can understand why Renault and Simca dominated this class. Perhaps Citroen should’ve just let Panhard continue with its plans for this market segment unimpeded. Perhaps Citroen should’ve done a lot of things…

On Mercurys with that kind of roofline, the rear window opened for ventilation, which was reportedly quite effective, providing a direct if rudimentary flow-through effect. (I’ve never had the opportunity to try it myself.) I recall U.S. reviewers saying it was nice for rear passengers in the summertime, both because of the improved airflow and because the roof overhang kept you from being broiled by the sun — attractive qualities in an era when air conditioning wasn’t all that common. I imagine it would also be nice on a muggy, rainy summer day because you could keep the interior air moving without getting wet.

Of course, much of that doesn’t apply if the rear window is fixed, which I think was the case with the Anglia and the Ami.

My little ones find the Original Beetle a spectacular thing to see on the road. They simply adore it. To them, there isn’t anything like it ever. They used to go crazy over every JEEP until they saw enough of them to stop perseverating every time they spotted one. Beetles are rare enough that they find them exciting things to see. As a kid who grew up around them for a decade, I barely acknowledge them.

I’ve never seen an Ami 6 in person. Yet I think I understand their appeal. Since most Americans have no experience with these cars, they have no way of understanding the redeeming qualities designed into it. Additionally, most have no idea the French environment or culture was like when these cars were designed, engineered and produced.

Consequently, we can do little more than observe its appearance and try to figure out how its differences suggest logic, using only our own. We end up calling it ugly because we can’t figure out why it looks the way it does. We call something ugly when we don’t understand why a difference occurs which doesn’t seem to enhance a standard.

This is also why these cars are so visually riveting. The design is so different we can’t help but attempt, and fail, to assimilate it into our car design experiences. If it looked like a flying saucer, we wouldn’t find it so interesting. The problem with this car is that we can’t really label it and put it away. It demands an entirely new category of its own, and to most people, that takes work and it is an irritation.

Experiencing different cultures can be an exhausting mental feat. The Ami 6 stimulates and exhausts those of us with extensive automobile knowledge because it breaks so many of our assumptions and rules. It is a French revolution for many.

Finally, there isn’t a lot of other car companies who had taken the Ami 6 and had this car’s eccentricities impact their auto designs and concepts. Had the competition attempt similar visual elements into their cars, the Ami 6 wouldn’t look so strikingly different today.

That’s right, “French” is the category. Inexpensive, frugal in operation, very comfortable on horrible streets and big enough for 4 to go to a 4 hour Sunday meal at a remote country restaurant.
The French population was growing and the government stimulated growth by paying out monthly “children’s moneys”, x amount for each child. It was necessary after the horrendous world wars. These cars were great for carting the family around without eating up the grocery budgets.
It seems the French manufacturers are loosing their Frenchness peu a peu. The population has grown, the budgets are better and so are the roads.

Citroën has gone through a very lacklustre era, especially in the nineties. But they seem to be back on track with their DS3, DS4 and DS5 models (which I all like) and especially the new C4 Cactus.

This was the only Citroën I liked in the nineties, the Saxo 1.6i VTS 16v, a B-segment hot hatch. Introduced in the second half of the nineties. Of course I liked it ! A little hot hatch…being almost 20 years younger than I am now.

As we all know not all tiny French cars are underpowered. The French were, are and will always be the True Masters of the B-segment Hot Hatch. Underpowered is relative, by the way. If every car is underpowered, then no car is underpowered.

Nick81

Posted April 7, 2015 at 5:23 AM

Johannes, unfortunately here in the UK the Saxo gave us monstrosities like this, agressively driven by 17 year olds. So despite my love for French cars, and the Ami pair, I HATE the Saxo!

Johannes Dutch

Posted April 7, 2015 at 12:00 PM

Now what the hell is that ??

I’ve always liked Euro B- and C-segment hot hatches, I still do. That is, in full-factory trim. Unmolested, well-maintained and with a proud owner. Unfortunately, after the first owner these little rockets often seem to be swallowed by some black hole of bad taste. (I know, beauty is in the eye of the beholder)

I even like them this way, the Peugeot 208 GTi 30th Anniversary. Meet the new B-segment King ! (yes, that two-tone paintjob is factory.)

Even my nearly dead 1963 Renault Dauphine was a pretty cool little car apart from the Ferlic Clutch system I was never able to fully sort out…

-Nate

Wolfgang

Posted April 6, 2015 at 9:11 PM

Our family’s first car was a brand new 1971 Renault 4 TL, purchased on my recommendation. Later I had two Peugeot 304 in sequence. I also considered a Citroen BX. They were oh so comfortable, oh so easy to work on and oh so rusty. I loved them anyway. I am right with you , Nate.

-Nate

Posted April 7, 2015 at 5:49 AM

“Our family’s first car was a brand new 1971 Renault 4 TL, purchased on my recommendation. Later I had two Peugeot 304 in sequence. I also considered a Citroen BX. They were oh so comfortable, oh so easy to work on and oh so rusty. I loved them anyway. I am right with you , Nate.”

Pops bought a black Peugeot 304 Sedan with sun roof and stuffed _five_ of us kids plus his 2nd. Wife in there for long hot summer Road Trips , he was a strange man and didn’t allow the windows open although he occasionally opened that wonderful sun roof .

I still would like to find one to re hab and daily drive , French cars are an acquired taste ~ Friends have had and loved old Citroen DS’ , they’re simply too weird for me .

I’m old and trying to avoid buying more projects , of course now a buddy is selling off his *pristine* low mileage Vintage Honda Tiddler Motos , only to a select few he ” trusts ” ~ oh boy .

“Well done!” it certainly is seared into my memory banks. I saw plenty of Ami 6 and Ami 8 living a stone throw form the French border and having a French Garrison stationed in our town. I was intrigued by the Ami 6’s wrongly slanted rear window. I thought the main reason was to provide maximum head room for the rear passengers.

The steering geometry of the 2CV and its siblings was something special. The front suspension has significant caster angle so the camber will increase as the wheel steers into a corner. The sway of the body would then put the tire flat on the tarmac. That is the reason these “hemorrhoid rockers” could corner so well. It was also good exercise for the biceps brachii.

My dad bought a brand new Ami6 in 1965, don’t have a lot of memories of it as I was just 2 at the time. He was into small and/or weird cars for most of his life and I got to experience quite a few of them 🙂 . I’ll have to ask my mom why he got rid of it but I’m guessing Cleveland’s winters probably ate it up.

I find the indent along the sides/flanks of the Ami similar to the latest Mercedes Benz and BMW cars and wonder if that is a feature which improves their cx,aerodynamic ratings.I have owned many French cars here in Australia and some were fast,Renault 16TS,but all had sumptuous seats,ride,handling and superb steering.Many rolled a bit in corners but it was a responsive and easily controllable lean unlike many wallowing barges in the USA.Give me a French car any day on a rough bush road or a windy/bendy mountain road.French cars were such mechanically simple machines without the need for velour and all the accoutrement that epitomised the Brougham culture,although they are equally appealing to me.

Re “break”. This word showed up in the late 17th century and referred to a 4-wheeled carriage used for breaking-in horses. During the 18th century it changed into “brake” (go ask the Brits why). Eventually, the wagon was used for hunting expeditions and became a “shooting brake”. The French took a fancy to the vehicle and called it “break de chasse”. Maybe they kept the older denomination out of snobbery. When the first estate cars (or station wagons or kombiwagen or giardiniere or rurales, you name it) were built, they used wooden bodies that resembled those horse carts, hence the label.

I’ve had a ’69 DS 21 brake since ’90. Also known as a safari. 2CV based cars with a good driver can really scoot. I was up in the Sierra foothills and had one pass me in my ’85 LTD. It was slightly downhill and this Charleston just never hit the brakes; never saw the lights come on. (Could of been the French bulbs or wiring tho)….but I tried to stay with him and when my tires started squealing, I gave up.